Executive Summary of Program Assessment
The summary should be no more than three pages.
Campus: UMSL
College or School: College of Arts & Sciences (If applicable)
Academic Unit: Department of Anthropology, Sociology and Languages
Date Submitted: June 22, 2012
Submitted by: Pamela Ashmore, Nancy Shields and Beth Eckelkamp
Degree Programs Reviewed Number of Degrees Enrollment Awarded Degree Most Most Recent (e.g., BS, Program 5-Year Fall Recent Fall 5-Year MA, PhD) Semester Academic Semester Average Average Year (2011) (2012) BA Anthropology 95 85 16 18 BS/BA Sociology 83 85 24 22 MA Sociology 4 16 1 5 BA Modern Language 75 74 13 12
Changes Since Last Review Describe any significant changes that have occurred in the program since last review (or in past five years).
Anthropology: At the time of our last self study (May 2007) we had just recently merged with the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures to become the Department of Anthropology and Languages. On August 1, 2010 we merged again but this time with the Department of Sociology and became the Department of Anthropology, Sociology and Languages. As described in the Introduction to the ASL Department new policies and guidelines have been developed and implemented.
In 2008 one of the Anthropology Associate Professors, Dr. Susan Brownell, was promoted to Full Professor and in 2010 Dr. Patti Wright was tenured and promoted to Associate Professor. In addition, in 2009 the joint appointment with Gerontology held by Dr. Margo Hurwicz was renegotiated from a 25% Anthropology and 75% Gerontology position to 75% Anthropology and 25% Gerontology. In August 2010 we became the home department for Dr. Laura Miller, a linguistic anthropologist and cultural studies scholar and the Eiichi Shibusawa-Seigo Arai Endowed Professor of Japanese Studies.
Sociology: The major changes that have occurred since 2007 include the retirement of a tenured faculty member (Teresa Guess), the appointment of a Visiting Assistant Professor (Peter Marina), the deactivation of the MA in Sociology, and the merger with Anthropology and Languages in 2010. As a result of these changes, the major issues that face us today are: 1) securing a tenure-track replacement for the line that was created by the retirement, and 2) determining how and if we should reactivate the MA program and the form it should take.
Languages and Cultures:
Strategies or Plans for Improving Program Describe steps, taken and planned, for ways to improve program or to adopt novel approaches. If reallocating resources or program emphasis, describe what steps are being taken to ensure that the quality of the program is not compromised.
ASL’s Strategic Goals for the Next Five Years: Implement and test our curriculum revisions and continue to reform Anthropology curriculum to:
1. Better prepare students for a highly competitive job market
2. Keep it current in order to address contemporary times and struggles
Expand our course offerings so that we may offer all four field areas in Anthropology
Create greater efficiencies by becoming better integrated with Sociology (e.g., developing courses such as “Culture and Society” that could be alternated between programs or even team taught)
Continue to identify and explore greater synergistic curriculum between Anthropology, Sociology and Languages
Create a joint Anthropology and Sociology advisory board
Obtain permission for the hire of the tenure track replacement line for an additional Sociology faculty member
Increase opportunities for Sociology majors to participate in community engagement and service learning projects
Develop additional courses needed for the option of an on line minor in Sociology Continue ongoing assessment of curriculum, learning outcomes, technology, trends in language pedagogy to provide challenging and enriching courses of study.
Continue campus leadership role in innovative course delivery of language programs
Add certificate programs in languages to market to area multi-national firms
Support the future successful tenure cases of our Assistant Professors
Support the future successful promotion cases for our Associate Professors
Increase the number of majors and our ability to retain them
Establish a Master’s Degree program
Provide additional funding to support faculty research and development
Other Comments
The Department of Anthropology, Sociology and Languages will continue to identify ways to unify the various programs that are now included in the unit as well as to explore synergistic alliances in course offerings and faculty research projects. We are striving to make our courses more relevant to the current needs of our undergraduate students, especially as they may relate to potential employment and career options. At the same time we have excelled at producing very successful undergraduate scholars who get admitted into quality graduate programs and enter other exciting career track options. We do not intend to compromise the quality of the undergraduate educational experience that we provide UMSL students. Due to the loss of tenure lines through a variety of reasons we will persist in seeking opportunities for tenure track replacement hires. ASL faculty members are exceptional individuals who provide high quality teaching and produce stellar research. The Department will continue to concentrate on retention efforts and also on growing the number of majors in our programs.